JEFF Hutchins has told his Newcastle Vipers team-mates they can claim two points tomorrow with a bit of good old-fashioned intimidation.

The Vipers travelled to Nottingham Panthers in the Elite League today, but it is tomorrow’s visit of Hutchins’ old club Belfast Giants which will attract the most attention.

The sides have been involved in two tasty encounters already this season and forward Hutchins does not want any let-up in the intensity tomorrow.

He said: “When I was not here earlier in the season I guess they had a big issue with them.

“There is a lot of talk before the game, like there was last time, but I don’t think Belfast will try to goon it up.”

The biggest talking point between this month’s two meetings at the Odessey Arena was the call from Belfast general manager Todd Kelman for a strong referee who could protect his side from the notoriously physical Vipers.

Hutchins added: “They have said a lot of things in the media that have made a lot of people upset. It has been blown a little bit out of proportion.

“I don’t think too many guys want to do that – except maybe one.”

Hutchins is not hiding his team’s approach.

He said: “We need to play rough and tumble hockey.

“I am pretty confident we will be meeting them in the play-offs, so we need to put down a marker.

“They have really good players we need to look out for.

“Paul Deniset, Evan Cheverie and Colin Shields are their big players.

“They have so much talent, but sometimes I think some of their main guys can be intimidated.

“That is what we have to try and do.”

Shields was a huge success in his one season on Tyneside, only to leave for Belfast in the summer.

However, the Great Britain international is yet to really come back to haunt his old club.

Hutchins added: “For some reason, when he plays against us he does not seem to play very well.”

The Vipers’ general manager Jaimie Longmuir has told his side to shrug off the disappointment of their midweek defeat to Manchester Phoenix.

The 4-1 loss in the home leg of their British Knockout Cup semi-final looked terminal, and Longmuir said: “Everyone involved is disappointed with the result.

“I felt we played well, but Manchester got the luck in front of goal.

“We had two goals disallowed and, although that is no excuse, the tie would look very different if those goals had been allowed to stand.

“There is no time to feel sorry or get down about it. We have a huge weekend ahead, and we must use that to put things right ahead of next week’s return leg.

“Nottingham is a tough venue to go to – they are a strong team but they have lost their last three games, and while we are the same we have played much stronger and much more as a team in the last three games than we have all season.

“Belfast has become a big rivalry in recent months with both the games in Belfast and here at the MRA being physical encounters. I expect tomorrow to be exactly the same.

“We have beaten the Giants here in Newcastle this season – and we need to dig out another big result.”